Simona Aginskaite Biography

Simona Aginskaitė is from the umbrella association Lithuanian Disability Forum (LDF).
Simona has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in comparative politics. She also studied journalism.
After her studies, she worked for 10 years at the national broadcaster of Lithuania, where she was a reporter on social topics and the host of several radio programs. In 2016, she joined the Lithuanian Disability Forum as a communication expert, responsible for the association’s communication, social and informational campaigns, and events.
Recently, she has become more and more involved in advocacy activities, conducting disability rights monitoring research and being responsible for advocacy in several areas of disability policy, including issues related to women with disabilities.
In 2021, she conducted a victimological survey of women who experienced violence, presenting its results to representatives of the government and the media. She began actively cooperating with women’s rights organizations, introducing them to the risks faced by women with disabilities, the accessibility of existing services, and the different needs of people with disabilities. She also initiated a training cycle to introduce women with disabilities to the ideas of gender equality.
In 2022, LDF initiated a committee for women with disabilities, where representatives of the association’s members share experiences, discuss emerging problems, and initiate project activities related to women with disabilities (mostly focusing on violence against women with disabilities). The aim of this committee is to empower women with disabilities and help them become strong advocates for their rights within their organisations and in collaboration with government agencies.